The Bobcat Nation

I had a look at NAU's overall profile, and what I saw suprised and impressed me.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... umberjacks

They are the #2 team in all of D-1 Mens basketball in shooting percentage (49.6%) and 6th in the nation in assists per game (17.4), to go along with 84th in scoring (72.4 ppg). They have only one loss all season at home and that was by one point to Weber. They have a handful of close losses to the likes of Arizona and USC and have only lost 3 games by more than 10 points.

When they played NAU in Bozeman on New Year's Eve, Cam Jones had his worst game of the season (8 points on 4-18 shooting), and they still scored 80 points. I'll be cheering hard for MSU, but the Cats will probably have to play even better than they did Wednesday night to beat NAU in Flagstaff tomorrow. NAU is my darkhorse pick to run the table and make the NCAA's.

grizzh8r wrote:the Cats will probably have to play even better than they did Wednesday night to beat NAU in Flagstaff tomorrow.

I agree. And we won't be playing a visiting team that just had their hearts ripped out two nights before by Northern Colorado and had nothing to play for against us...in other words I think our chances at NAU are somewhere between slim and none.

But it's a weird year so...?

I take absolutely nothing for granted in this league. MSU or EWU is just as likely to get hot at the right time and make a run through the tournament as the host - UNC - is. NAU's had a good month of hoops (one bad loss and two losses by 1-2 points) but MSU has proven they were a better team than had been lead to believe.

Oh...NAU's leading the NCAA's in 3 point shooting percentage as well. NAU doesn't rebound and shoot free throws as well as they operate the rest of their offense. Not quite as much depth with the "bigs" as some other Big Sky teams either.

For being such a "home-dominant" league during the regular season, if my memory is correct, the last home team to win the conference bid as the top seed was PSU in 2008. I remember that...it hurt immensely to watch that final as a live spectator. Last two years, a lower seed has won. Anything can happen...the agony and the ecstasy of March hoops.

Hoping to scrape by a mad-dash trip up for the game tomorrow. If not, plans are to hunker down in front of a tv.

Best of luck, Bobcats fans.

-MtJack

If we can get Howard and Rush started early anything can happen... Here's to a good game! GO CATS!!!!!!

'Cats are shooting well and lead 32-27 at the half. Rush with 12, Singleton with 8. Let's see if they can keep it going in the second half!

So far so good. Cats are playing pretty tough D, just need to keep it up. Go Cats!!

The play by play guy is pretty funny to listen to. Should be a good 2nd half. I'm expecting the Seniors to really play well this half.

can you say meltdown? Good gracious!

I can. Come on Cats, REALLY need a bucket here, tied up 57-57 with 1:27 left.

We need a stop, NAU has scored like 7 straight possessions it seems. Nope, give up yet another 3. Down 2 now with 48 seconds left. Cats were up as much as 16 in the 2nd half.

Well this game pretty much sums up the season, doesn't it...

Looks like we are going down. Epic collapse. See ya next year.

CelticCat wrote:Looks like we are going down. Epic collapse. See ya next year.

Bobcat Men's Basketball. Feel the excitement!

Anyone else notice the collapse began when the cats started pulling the ball out and sitting on it. Huse has done this before, sitting on the ball too early and changing the entire flow of the game!!!! Slow the game down with 10 minutes still left in the game!! Come on Man!!!!!

CelticCat wrote:Looks like we are going down. Epic collapse. See ya next year.

Hey man back off. That was not a collapse. Cats played very well, but NAU simply got away with A LOT of questionable defense. I can distinctly remember 3 calls (or non-calls) during the run they put on where MSU got absolutely hosed. Such is home court advantage in the BSC... I'm proud of this team. They did not give up when they could have after the 9 game losing streak. Too bad it ends in a jobbing.

As for your respones luvMT. They were running their offense, just later on in the shot clock, and as I said above, NAU got away with a lot of physical play.

Another stall with a big lead another f-----g loss! I am so glad this season is over. I can't take it. When you love a team so much, it hurts too much when you see it happen like this. You have to keep playing when you are on somebody elses home court. wow this sucks.

Well, I've watched these Cats all season long and I really like the guys on the team, but I do NOT like the record. We are losing some outstanding players in Bobby, Eric and Danny, so right now, I can't see much reason to expect a competitive team in the Big Sky next year.

As for tonight's game, I disagree that we did not "collapse." The Cats definitely slowed it down and that led to less point production and many turnovers. That's coaching.

luvMtFootball wrote:Anyone else notice the collapse began when the cats started pulling the ball out and sitting on it. Huse has done this before, sitting on the ball too early and changing the entire flow of the game!!!! Slow the game down with 10 minutes still left in the game!! Come on Man!!!!!

The NAU announcers commented on that too, saying it was bit early to be running out the clock like that. Doing that against one of the top offensive teams in the country with that much time left was not a bright idea. It threw the Cats O completely out of sync, and gave NAU the opportunity to cut into that lead, build some confidence, and well...you saw the results. When the Cats got to the point where they couldn't try to run it out anymore, their offense was never able to get back in sync.

That was an epic collapse. You're not going to get the calls on the road-nobody is. We couldn't even get over the half line most of the time during that collapse. This team didn't have it between the ears-I'm sure they're smart guys, but when the chips were down they just fell apart. They did it all season long.

Should be picked dead last by the coaches and press for next season...so I guess anything other than last will feel like a moral victory.

BelgradeBobcat wrote:That was an epic collapse. You're not going to get the calls on the road-nobody is. We couldn't even get over the half line most of the time during that collapse. This team didn't have it between the ears-I'm sure they're smart guys, but when the chips were down they just fell apart. They did it all season long.

Should be picked dead last by the coaches and press for next season...so I guess anything other than last will feel like a moral victory.

I don't see the Cats being picked last next season. Sac will likely have that honor again. ISU will probably be picked 2nd to last. EWU will be better next year I think. I'd guess the Cats will be picked about 6th.